Supporting device.



W. j. KELLY.

SUPPORTING DI'IVIGEA APPLlcATloN man ri. 29. 1916.

'3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. J. KELLY.

SUPPORTING DEVICE.

APPLICATIoNH'LED FEB. 29, 191s.

Mtented Feb. 26, 1918.

a SHEETS-suur z.

W. l. KELLY'.

SUPPORTlNG 'DEVICE APPLICATION man rss. 29, 191s.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Mmmm..

'WILLIAM J'. KELLY, OF CLINTON, IOWA.

SUPPORTING DEVICE.

'Specification of Letters Patent. Pgutqgmrfgd Febo 26, jljnjt.,

Application led February 29, 1916. Serial No. 81,106.

.To aZZ 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, WILLIAM J. KELLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clinton, in the county of Clinton and State of iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Supporting evices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates, more particularly to devices for supporting mattresses, or the like articles, preferably for the housing and displaying of the same in vertical position.

My primary object is to provide a simple and effective construction of clamp to engage the upper edge of the mattress for sup porting it in depending position, without injuring the mattress, and preferably to permit the mattresses to be moved relative to each other to display condition and with equal facility replaced in the rack.

Referring to the accompanying` drawings Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a rack equipped with a plurality of my improved supporting devices, showing the rack partly filled with mattresses. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the upper portion of the rack. Fig. 8 is a section taken at the line 3 on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow, one of the mattresses being eX- tended in the rack to display condition. Fig. l is a view in front elevation of one of the similar guideetracks employed. Fig. 5 is a section taken at the line 5 on Fig. 3 and viewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation ofmy improved mattress clamp showing it in closed position.. Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the clamp. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the clamp in open condition; and Fig. 9, a front view of a portion of the rack showing one of the tracks and with a clamp (shown in part only) engaging the guide.

ln the particular construction illustrated, wherein provision is made for permitting any of the mattresses to be moved substantially parallel with the others thereof to project it beyond the others, and for use in Y connection with which feature l have more particularly devised my invention, the rack is made of bars of angle-shape assembled and secured together to form a rectangular structure. At the front and back portions of the rack the bars are positioned toform rectangular frames, as shown of the front portion of the rack in Fig. 1, these bars being represented at 10, 11, 12 and 13. The

rectangular frames thus provided are connected together in spaced relation at their upper and lower corners by cross-bars at opposite sides of these rectangles connected with the bars of the latter as represented of the upper cross-bars indicated at 14C, to form the rectangular raclr, braces 16'being provided at the corners of the rack, except across the front thereof,- which is left open. The rack thus provided is of a height and depth somewhat greater than the height and width of the mattresses to be housed therein and of a width to permit as many of the mattresses as desired being housed therein.

Secured at their ends against the undersides of the upper bars l0 are guide-tracks 17, which are spaced apart in Vparallel relation. and extend from the rear of the rack to a point slightly in front of the front side of the rack, as represented in Figs. 2 and 3. These guide-tracks, preferably constructed of metal, are each of general inverted U- shape in cross-section with inwardly-extend ing flanges 18 projecting from the'opposed edges thereof and terminating in upturned sections 19 spaced apart to form a slot 20, bolts 21 passing through the sides of the guide-tracks at intervals to prevent spreading.

The guide-tracks 17 are provided for re-` ceiving and supporting the devices from which the mattresses, as, for example, those illustrated at 22, are suspended, and forming guides along which these devices may slide to'project portions of the mattresses through the vfront of the rack beyond kthe front edges of the other mattresses to display the mattresses as desired.

rFhe articular form of mattresssupporting device illustrated, and which is the form in which lt' prefer to provide my invention, is formed of side bars 23 and 24 of angleiron. and of a greater length than the width of the mattress to be supported; the bar 24e being rigidly connected at one end with a har 25 and pivotally connected at its op posite end with a bar 26 having a notch 27 inits inner edge, the opposite end of the bar 25 being pivotally connected at 28 with the adjacent end of the bar 23, which latter is equipped at its opposite end with a pin 29 adapted to enter the notch 27 when the clamping device is in closed position, the flanges of the bars 23 and 24 being preferably eXtended inwardly toward each other, as represented, and the arrangement of the Vparts just described being such thatwvhenthe clamp is closed about the end of amattress, as hereinafter*explained, the flanges just referred to will compress the mattress suiiiciently to sustain it in suspended position. ,'Ihegclamp is provided at its end adjacent theV bar 25, and intermediate its ends With yoke-shaped hangers 30, each formed of angle-shaped sections 31 and 32 pivoted together'n at upwardly-deflected 'sections 33 and 3e thereon, asrepresented at 35, the sections '131i' being rigidly coiinected with the bars" 24 to extend upwardly therefrom at an aiigleand'the sections 3Q containing notches 36in'their edges for engagement ivith pins 37v on the( bar 28 ivhen the clamp is closed. The upper ends of the sections 33 are equipped' with short shafts 38' extending beyond opposite sidesV of these sections and equipped at their projecting ends with rollthen svvungltoward the' respective pins 37 to interlock the notches 36 With these pins. The mattresses, vvith the clamps applied as stated, are then introduced into' the rack to the position shown in Fig. l, the rollers 39 entering the channels 17,a provided by shaping the guide-'tracks as stated, and supporting'fthe' mattresses from the latter. TWhen it is desiredto displayr one vof the mattressses the operator grasps its forward edge and pullsit forwardly, the clamping device from which itis supportedl rolling alongl the track oni-its rollers'39, the :t'orivard ones of which preferably engage a removable and replaceable stop-device, shown as a Cotter-pin IO A securedI in the side-Walls'of the track, as represented inFig. 3, wherein one of the mattresses is shown in extended, display condition, it being understood that when desired the mattress may be returned toits original position in the rack by` pushing it back ready. manipulation of the mattresses into .to place, the roller-engagement of the clamping-device, with the tracks, permitting of the a'nd out of display position. p

While I have illustrated and described a particular embodiment of my` invention, I

do not Wish to be understoodl as limiting it thereto,as the same may be variously modified and altered Without departing from the Y spirit of myinvention. Furthermore, While I have shown my impr o'vedV device in' cone'ctio'n With an apparatus in Which the mattresses are supported in a particular relation and are movable relative to each other in a certain Way, I do not Wish to be understood as intending to limit my invention to use in such connection, as certain features thereof are useful, wherein the mattressses, or other articles, are supported to extend otherwise and also bemovable otherwise, where suppported to be moved relative to each other to display position.

Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent is-v 1". A mattress-clamp comprising side-bars, end-bars connected ivithone of said sidebars, one of said end-bars being pivotally connected thereto, the other of said side-bars being relatively movable toward and away from the first-mentioned side-bar to permit the clamp tobe opened, and means on said pivotal end-bar and said last-referred-to side-bar to releasably hold said' side-bars against movement away from each other, for maintaining the clamp in closed position about a mattress.

2L In a mattress-clamp, the combination of bars' adapted to be spread apart to render the clamp open for receiving a mattress, and a hanger formed of relatively movable rigid upwardly-extending sections carried by one of the bars and adapted at one of its sections to releasably engage the opposite barv When the clamp is closed.

3. InY a mattress-clamp, the combination of bars adapted to be spread apart to render the clamp open for receiving a mattress,

and a hanger of yoke-shape with its arms pivotally connected together, one of its arms being connected With one of the side-bars and its other arm provided With means for engaging the opposite side-bar When the clamp is in closed position.

4. A mattress-clamp comprising side-bars and end-bars, certain of said bars being pivoted together, said bars adapting the clamp to be opened and closed, and a hanger, formed of relatively movable sections, connected With one of said side-bars and adapted to releasably engage the other side-bar when said clamp is closed.

5. A mattress-clamp, comprising side-bars and endbars,.certain of said bars being pivoted together, said bars adapting the clamp to be opened and closed, and a hanger of yoke-shape With its arms pivotally connected together, one of its arms being connected with one of the side-bars and its other arm provided with means for engaging the opposite side-bar When the clamp is in closed position.

6. VA mattress-clamp comprising side-bars and end-bars, certain of said bars being pivoted together, said bars adapting the clamp to be opened and closed, a hanger of yokel vshape With its arms pivotally connected to` gether, the axis of the pivot connecting said Lamm i arms extending transversely of said side- Vbars, one of the arms of said hanger being .site side-bar, adapted to engage each other upon swinging said last-referred-to arm on its pivot when said clamp is closed, for holding the clamp in closed position.

7. In a mattress-clamp, the combination of bars adapted to be spread apart to render the clamp open for receiving a mattress, a hanger formed of pivotally connected sections, one ot which is connected With one bar, the pivot of said hanger extending transversely of said bars, and means formed of coperating elements on the other section of said hanger and the opposite bar adapted to engage each other upon swinging said last-referred-to arm on its pivot when said clamp is closed, for holding the clamp in closed position. p

8. A mattress-clamp comprising side-bars and end-bars certain of said bars being pivoted together, said bars adapting the clamp to be opened and closed, a hanger of yokeshape with its arms pivotallyconnected together, the axis of the pivot, connecting said arms, extending transversely of said side-bars in a plane substantially parallel with the plane in which the side bars are movable in opening and closing the clamp, the arms of said hanger being rigid, With one of said arms connected With one of the side-bars and the other arm being movable at its pivotal connection into and out of a position in which it overlaps the opposite sidebar, and means on said lastreferredto arm and said last-referred-to side-bar for' releasably connecting these bars together when the clamp is in closed position.

WILLIAM J. KELLY.

In presence oflV. K. CARROLL, JAMES J. DOLAN.

Genies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Gommissioncr nl Patents,

"Washington, D. C. 

